Staying busy

Well, spring has officially arrived, but winter hasn’t quite relinquished control yet! Today is very windy and COLD! I’m thankful, though, that we didn’t have any damage from the storms that moved through yesterday. I got a message on my phone around 3:30 saying to take shelter, because we were under an imminent threat of tornado and/or hail. We unplugged all of our electronics and appliances and kept a sharp eye out, but other than HEAVY wind and rain, we were fine. Our electricity never even went out…just flickered a few times. Folks to the northeast of us didn’t fair so well. Between the tornado damage in the Jacksboro area and the fire damage out west of us, there has been a lot of devastation this week.

Nam went home this afternoon after spending a couple of nights with us. We also got to see him and his parents last week at Harvey’s funeral. We got rooms in the same hotel in Lubbock, and he rode with us to the funeral. We left a little early, so we could drive around Littlefield and I could show him where I lived when I was young. We found our old house, but it looks very different than it did when we lived there. As to be expected, the neighborhood has really declined in the 57 years since we left. We also drove by the elementary school, park and church house…as well as the hospital that I was born in. I think I got a lot more out of it than Nam did….brought back so many memories. The whole trip did! It had been 2 years to the week since Daddy had died, and he was very much on my mind the whole time. It was good to see the folks at the funeral, some of which I hadn’t seen in decades. My heart breaks for Joy and the rest of the family. I know that Harvey is going to leave a huge hole in their lives and hearts.

Our windows for the guest room came in a little earlier than expected, and Dennis got them installed. He has all of the sheetrock up, too. He is still working on detail work on the drywall…corners and such. Hopefully he can start texturing next week. We also got the flooring in that we plan to put in there. Things should go fairly quickly once the walls are finished and painted. We are HOPING to have the room finished before the family comes on the weekend of April 23 (for Gracie’s birthday and family pictures).

I am really loving my new hobby…rag quilting! I am currently working on two. I started the one for our guest room and got all of the sandwiches pinned together. Then I realized that I had less than 3 weeks before Caleb’s birthday, so I put that one aside and started working on his. I’m trying something a little different with his. I’ll share a picture of it once I’ve completed it and given it to him. (He knows that I’m working on it and has had some input as to the design.) It has kind of taken over the living room and dining room. I do my cutting and pinning on a long table in the LR and then do the sewing on the DR table.

We have plans to go to Arkansas this weekend. We will, Lord willing, attend Warren and Linda’s anniversary party on Saturday, and then head up to Ricky and Amber’s that evening. Then we’ll come home Monday. Dennis has an appointment to get his other tooth pulled first thing Tuesday morning. So he’ll be tender-mouthed again for a few weeks. Once this one heals completely, he’ll go see the specialist about getting implants. He will sure be glad when he isn’t suffering from toothaches anymore!

It is about time to go get supper started. Take care and be kind!

Pr 25:19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint. (NKJV) 

Family, friends and crafting

Well, it looks like winter is about over and spring is drawing near. Of course, that could change from day to day! This week is pretty spring-like, anyway.

I finally reached my 50 pounds lost goal on Valentine's Day and got my DP shake to celebrate! I haven’t made any real progress since then though…just hovering around 51 pounds. Weight loss for me isn’t linear. It is a constant zigzag. I eventually go down, but not until I’ve bounced around quite a bit! I’m trying not to obsess over it. As long as I continue to eat healthy and moderately, exercise, and the scales keep reflecting a loss, however slowly it may be, I’m happy. As I’ve said, this is my new lifestyle, and I’m happy with the benefits that it has provided.

Nam came for a couple of nights sleepover two weeks ago. We didn’t do anything special…just our regular stuff. His family came on Saturday to pick him up and had lunch with us. We always enjoy our time visiting with all of them!

The following week was Diane’s sleepover and our painting class. That was the same week that our other winter storm came through, so we were on pins and needles all week, hoping that the roads would be clear (which they were). Diane had a minor plumbing emergency just as she was getting ready to come, which almost knocked her out of making it. She ended up getting here just in time! The class was fun, although it was much more intense than we expected. Sheila came over for it, too. We really enjoyed our evening. I would love to take more classes. I’ve always wanted to learn how to paint. Diane and I are planning to take a watercolor class next weekend. It will be a much simpler design! In the meantime, I am getting hooked on watching the old Bob Ross shows. Maybe one of these days, I’ll get some supplies and try my hand at it for real.

Diane went to church with us the morning after our class, and Charles and Belinda also came over for the day (after having attended Tommy T’s funeral). We all went out to eat together after services and had a good visit. Afterwards, Dennis and I went home with Diane, so he could take care of her plumbing repairs. That gave us even more time to enjoy one another’s company! It was a great weekend!

I finished making Archer’s lovey and stopped with just the one. I had forgotten how difficult it is to sew on such small projects! By the time I finished, I didn’t want to even try to do the second. Maybe later…I saved the pieces that I had cut out. Instead, I did some knitting and started working on my next rag quilt. I am REALLY enjoying making them! I’ve always wanted to make quilts, but they require such precision and take so long. I’m afraid that I don’t have the patience or skill set needed. But rag quilts are quick and “forgiving”…right down my alley! I hope to make one for each of the grands eventually. I just finished the one that I’ve been working on. It is in the wash right now. I still have to wash, shake, wash again, shake again, dry, shake, dry and shake again before it is nice and fluffy. I should have it done by day’s end. I’m hoping to do one to go on the bed in the guest room that we are working on next. I want to use homespun fabric in darker colors for that one.

Archer with his lovey.

We are still waiting for our windows to come in for the guest room. They were supposed to be in the latter part of February. Now they are saying it will be the end of March. Not much else that Dennis can do in there until we get them. He did finish the ramp at the church house. He still has a little trim to add, which he is working on this week. It turned out really well!

I finally go see the ENT Friday for my phantosmia. Funny thing, tho, I haven’t had a flareup of it for the past 8 weeks. I’ve never tracked it before, and I don’t remember if I’ve gone this long without smelling the cigarette smoke before. This may just be a normal part of the “cycle”. It will be interesting to talk to a professional about it tho. My allergies/sinuses have been giving me fits for a long time, so it won’t hurt to get them checked out anyway.

I hope that you are all staying safe and well. There is so much pain in the world right now. Let’s all try to ease someone’s burden and make our little part of the world a better place. Take care and be kind!

Ec 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. (NKJV)